DAY ONE: Fasting Is Expected
SCRIPTURE READINGMatthew 6:16-18 (CSB)“Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so that their fasting is obvious to people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting isn’t obvious to others but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” |
COMMENTARY
Jesus doesn’t say “if you fast” but “whenever you fast.” This isn’t a suggestion for the spiritually elite—it’s an expectation for all disciples. From the earliest followers of Christ to believers today, fasting has been understood as an ongoing spiritual discipline. Just as we expect to pray, read Scripture, and gather with other believers, Jesus expects us to fast. The question isn’t whether fasting applies to you, but when you will embrace this expectation as part of your walk with God.
The resistance we feel toward fasting often reveals what we’ve built our lives upon. We claim we’re too busy, too weak, or too concerned about our health. Yet we skip meals for weight loss, work through lunch for deadlines, and willingly deprive ourselves for far lesser things. The real issue isn’t capacity—it’s surrender. Fasting exposes how dependent we’ve become on everything except God. It strips away our self-sufficiency and forces us to lean into Him in ways that feel uncomfortable and foreign. That discomfort is precisely the point.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- When was the last time you felt physically hungry for God the way you get hungry for food?
- What excuses have you used to avoid fasting, and what do those excuses reveal about what you’re truly dependent on?
- How does knowing that Jesus expects you to fast change your perspective on this spiritual discipline?
- In what ways have you been willing to deprive yourself for lesser things (appearance, career, hobbies) while refusing to fast for God?
THOUGHT OF THE DAYWe don’t fast to get something from God—we fast to get closer to God. |
SONG FOR TODAY
“I Hunger and Thirst” — Fernando Ortega
FROM THE SERMON“If you’re too busy to fast, you’re too busy. Fasting doesn’t demand more of your time—it Take a moment to sit with this truth. What has your busyness been masking? |
DAILY CHALLENGE
Skip one meal today. Use the time you would have spent eating to pray. Every time you feel
hunger, let it turn your heart toward Christ and remind you of your need for Him.
PRAYER FOCUS
Ask God to reveal the things you’ve become dependent on instead of Him. Pray for the
courage to surrender your self-sufficiency and embrace the expectation to fast.
DAY TWO: The Danger of Wrong Motives
SCRIPTURE READINGMatthew 6:1-2, 5, 16 (CSB)“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven. So whenever you give to the needy, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be applauded by people… And whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people… Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so that their fasting is obvious to people.” |
COMMENTARY
Pride corrupts everything—even our attempts to draw near to God. The hypocrites Jesus describes weren’t necessarily faking their spiritual disciplines; they were performing them for the wrong audience. They wanted to be seen, admired, and celebrated for their holiness. Their fasting became a tool for self-promotion rather than God-glorification. Jesus warns that when applause is what you’re after, applause is all you’ll get. You can do all the right things for all the wrong reasons and still completely miss God.
But pride isn’t the only motive that corrupts fasting—duty does too. You can check the box, fulfill the obligation, and fast simply because you’re supposed to. God isn’t satisfied with mere compliance. He doesn’t just want you to do what’s right; He wants your heart to be right. When you fast out of obligation alone, you rob yourself of the joy and intimacy that come from delighting in what God has called you to do. The Father isn’t impressed by your ability to go through the motions. He’s looking for a heart that genuinely wants Him.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Have you ever done something “spiritual” primarily so others would notice or be impressed? How did that affect your relationship with God?
- What’s the difference between fasting to get something from God versus fasting to get more of God?
- How can you tell if you’re obeying God out of duty or out of genuine desire for Him?
- Why does God care as much about your motives as He does about your obedience?
THOUGHT OF THE DAYGod doesn’t want your duty. He wants your delight. He doesn’t want your performance. He wants your heart. |
SONG FOR TODAY
“Create in Me a Clean Heart” — Keith Green
FROM THE SERMON“When you fast out of obligation, you’re not just shortchanging God. You’re shortchanging yourself. You miss the reward. God doesn’t want your duty. He wants your delight. He doesn’t want your performance. He wants your heart. Fast because you want Him—not because you’re trying to impress Him or anyone else.” Examine your heart. What are you really after? |
DAILY CHALLENGE
Before you engage in any spiritual discipline today (prayer, Bible reading, worship), pause and examine your heart. Ask yourself: “Am I doing this to be seen, to check a box, or because I genuinely want more of God?”
PRAYER FOCUS
Confess any pride or mere obligation in your spiritual life. Ask God to purify your motives and give you a heart that delights in Him rather than in the approval of others.
DAY THREE: Hidden Fasting, Heavenly Reward
SCRIPTURE READINGMatthew 6:17-18 (CSB)“But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting isn’t obvious to others but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” |
COMMENTARY
Jesus gives clear instruction: when you fast, hide it. Make yourself look normal. Don’t advertise your spirituality. This runs completely counter to our culture of performance and social media validation. We’re trained to broadcast everything—our workouts, our meals, our accomplishments. But Jesus says when it comes to fasting, actively conceal it. Look like you normally do. Make your fast invisible to everyone except God. This isn’t just about physical appearance; it’s about guarding your heart from the temptation to seek human approval.
Hiding your fast from others forces you to do it for an audience of One. When no one else knows you’re fasting, there’s no applause to earn, no recognition to gain, no spiritual credibility to build. It’s just you and God. And that’s exactly where the reward is found. Your Father sees what you do in secret. He sees the hunger pains you endure. He sees every moment you turn to Him instead of to food. He sees your heart, your motives, your genuine pursuit of Him. And He rewards that—not with earthly applause, but with deeper intimacy, greater spiritual capacity, and the satisfaction of knowing He is pleased.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Why do you think Jesus emphasizes hiding your fast from others? What does this protect you from?
- How does fasting in secret change what you’re hoping to get out of it?
- What does it reveal about your heart if you feel the need to tell people you’re fasting?
- How have you experienced God’s reward when you’ve pursued Him without seeking recognition from others?
THOUGHT OF THE DAYYour Heavenly Father sees all that you do—even the fasting done in privacy. And because your heart’s motive was pure, God promises to reward you. |
SONG FOR TODAY
“In Secret” — Andy Cherry
FROM THE SERMON“There’s no need to concern yourself with whether or not people see you fasting. Your Heavenly Father sees all that you do—even the fasting done in privacy. And because your heart’s motive was pure—because you actually pursued God by denying yourself the basic necessity of food—God promises to reward you.” Rest in the knowledge that God sees you. His approval is enough. |
DAILY CHALLENGE
Do something generous or spiritual today that no one else will know about. Give anonymously, pray for someone in secret, or serve in a way that goes unnoticed. Practice doing righteousness for an audience of One.
PRAYER FOCUS
Thank God that He sees you even when no one else does. Ask Him to help you find your satisfaction in His approval rather than in human recognition.
DAY FOUR: The Power of Physical Hunger
SCRIPTURE READINGPsalm 42:1-2 (CSB)“As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God?” Matthew 4:4 (CSB)“He answered, ‘It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” |
COMMENTARY
The power of fasting is tied to the pain of fasting. When you deny your body its most basic, most carnal need, something shifts inside you. The hunger you feel isn’t a distraction from spiritual focus—it is the focus. Every pang becomes a prompt to pray. Every growl in your stomach turns your heart toward Christ. Every moment of discomfort reminds you that you were made for more than physical sustenance. This is why giving up Netflix or social media, while potentially helpful, doesn’t carry the same spiritual weight as abstaining from food. Your body won’t ache for entertainment at noon the way it aches for nourishment.
Fasting creates a physical hunger that mirrors and awakens your spiritual hunger. Most of us have never felt desperate for God the way we get desperate for food. We’ve never experienced that gnawing, uncomfortable, can’t-ignore-it craving for His presence. Fasting changes that. It forces your body to feel what your soul already needs—complete dependence on God. When you’re physically weak from lack of food, you’re confronted with a truth you can usually ignore: you’re weak, and God is strong. You need Him, not just spiritually but practically, viscerally, in every moment. That reminder is worth the discomfort.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- When have you felt genuinely desperate for God—not just a warm feeling, but an ache or craving that wouldn’t go away?
- How does physical hunger during fasting help you recognize your spiritual hunger?
- What does it reveal about your dependence on God when denying yourself food feels overwhelming or impossible?
- How might regular fasting train you to depend on God in other areas where you currently rely on yourself?
THOUGHT OF THE DAYEvery pang turns your heart toward Christ. Every growl in your stomach becomes a prompt to pray. Every round of discomfort draws you closer to Him. |
SONG FOR TODAY
“As the Deer” — Marty Nystrom
FROM THE SERMON“The power of fasting is tied to the pain of fasting. You’re denying your body its most basic, most carnal need. That hunger you feel? That’s not a distraction. That’s the point. Every pang turns your heart toward Christ. Every growl in your stomach becomes a prompt to pray. Every round of discomfort draws you closer to Him.” Let your physical hunger awaken your spiritual hunger. |
DAILY CHALLENGE
Fast from at least one meal today. Each time you feel hunger, stop and pray. Don’t just pray about the hunger—let the hunger itself become your prayer, a physical reminder of your need for God.
PRAYER FOCUS
Ask God to create in you a hunger for Him that exceeds your hunger for food, comfort, and self-sufficiency. Pray that fasting would train you to depend on Him in every area of your life.
DAY FIVE: Positioned for Reward
SCRIPTURE READINGJames 4:8 (CSB)“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” Hebrews 11:6 (CSB)“Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” |
COMMENTARY
Fasting doesn’t manipulate God into giving you what you want. It positions you to receive what He already wants to give you. God isn’t waiting for you to earn His favor through hunger—Christ already secured that. But fasting does something powerful in you: it creates space for God to work, stretches your spiritual capacity, and aligns your heart with His. The reward isn’t a transactional payment for services rendered; it’s the natural result of drawing near to a God who delights in His children and longs to give them good gifts.
The rewards of fasting are multifaceted. There’s the satisfaction of knowing God is pleased with you. There’s the expansion of your spiritual capacity as you’re stretched beyond where you were before. And there’s the specific breakthrough you fasted for—freedom from sin, clarity in decision-making, deeper intimacy with God, or the faith to believe He can move in mighty ways. You’re not fasting simply because Jesus expects you to. You’re fasting because He expects it and it positions you for His reward. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Your Father delights in you, and His reward is waiting for your next fast.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- How does understanding fasting as positioning rather than earning change your approach to it?
- What spiritual breakthrough or growth are you hoping God will bring through fasting?
- How has fasting (or the lack of it) affected your sense of spiritual capacity and intimacy with God?
- What would it look like for you to make fasting a regular spiritual discipline rather than a one-time event?
THOUGHT OF THE DAYFasting done righteously aligns your heart with God’s and deepens your intimacy with Him. |
SONG FOR TODAY
“Draw Me Close” — Michael W. Smith
FROM THE SERMON“You’re not fasting simply because Jesus expects you to. You’re fasting because He expects it and it positions you for His reward. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Your Father delights in you—and His reward is waiting for your next fast.” What reward is God inviting you to receive? |
DAILY CHALLENGE
Commit to a regular fasting practice moving forward. Whether it’s one day a week, one meal a day, or another rhythm that works for you—make fasting a consistent part of your spiritual life, not just a one-time experiment.
PRAYER FOCUS
Thank God for the access you have to Him through Jesus Christ. Ask Him to establish fasting as a regular discipline in your life and to reward your pursuit of Him with greater intimacy, spiritual growth, and breakthrough in specific areas where you need Him to move.
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Closing Thought
Fasting is not about proving yourself to God—it’s about positioning yourself to receive more of Him. As you finish these five days, remember: you don’t fast to become accepted. You fast because you already are. The Father isn’t waiting for you to prove yourself. He’s
waiting for you to draw near to Him. And because of Jesus—you can.
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BRIDGE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH
3060 Hammond Business Place, Suite 121
Raleigh, NC 27603
“To make disciples who make disciples”